Hillhouse has won nine state championships with the most recent coming in 2011.

“This is so great. I am so excited,” Hillhouse senior Tanayja London said. “The experience has been great and worth it all these four years. We just studied. We had to study this team, we didn’t see them play at all this year. As seniors and juniors and as the captain of the team, I knew what I had to do.”

With Hillhouse starting four seniors and Notre Dame starting none, the experienced players came out of the gate faster, opening a 10-point lead after one quarter and a 27-15 lead at the half.

The Academics did not slow down in the third, opening up a 20-point lead midway through the quarter.

Notre Dame clawed back to within 10 in the fourth, but could not get any closer.

“It was (Hillhouse’s) talent, their coaching and their experience and knowing what it takes in these games,” Notre Dame coach Eric DeMarco said. “I was proud of how we fought back and made a little bit of a competitive game out of it. It just didn’t happen. It’s very hard to get this close and when you get this close and don’t take advantage of it, it stings. Hillhouse was well prepared and well coached.”

PLAYER OF THE GAME

Tanayja London, Hillhouse. London, who is going to play at Iona next year, was dominant inside, scoring 20 points and cleaning up rebounds on both ends of the floor.

QUOTABLE

“I told them before the game, they’re young and inexperienced and they haven’t been here before. Some of my players have sat on the bench at championship games when they were younger and they came to Hillhouse knowing they wanted to get there. They worked hard for four years and got better every single year. That leadership showed tonight and they never gave up against a very good team.” — Hillhouse coach Catrina Hawley-Stewart